SWJCFC MEDIA DAY | NEO looking to make noise in a very tough conference
TYLER – Northeastern Oklahoma A&M wasn’t much of a factor in the 2023 football season in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference.
Coach Zach Crissup plans to do everything in his power to change that.
Crissup was third to the podium Thursday at the conference’s media day at Hollytree Country Club in Tyler. If his team is third in the standings when the regular season is over after Nov. 9, they’ll be one of the four teams in the playoffs.
That might or might not be a satisfactory position for the Golden Norsemen, but getting back into the conference playoffs would definitely be a welcomed finish.
Crissup, the former safety at Oklahoma State under coach Mike Gundy, immediately introduced the room to his “assistant coach”: his wife Stephanie, which drew some laughter and applause, and his son, Patch.
“In 2031, I think he’ll be eligible to play left tackle for somebody,” Crissup joked. “He’s 11 now, wearing my clothes, going in my closet.”
Crissup got down to football matters pretty quickly, noting that he felt the Norsemen’s recruiting class for the upcoming season went very well, especially in state.
“Going out of state, we hadn’t done as well the last few years, but I felt like we’ve done a really good job this year, mainly at defensive back,” Crissup said. “We’ve got a couple of 6-foot-2, 6-3 corners that had some major interest and offers across the country going on. …For some reason every year, we’re able to find some great freshmen safeties that are able to come in and contribute, and these guys don’t hit their heads on doorknobs (a nod to what Trinity Valley coach Sherard Poteete said about Tyson Berry in his address minutes before, found here SWJCFC MEDIA DAY | Big goals, high expectations for Trinity Valley (etblitz.com)). Can’t wait to get pads on those guys.”
Crissup said NEO’s offensive coordinator just left, a late departure, and that Sean Kelly will be coaching quarterbacks, and coach Brandon Niccum, the Norsemen’s former offensive line coach, will be the offensive coordinator, a guy that Crissup credited in part for the improvement in recruiting.
“One of the biggest reasons our recruiting picked up a lot was coach Niccum’s effort, and just his attitude, and how he works towards things,” Crissup said. “He’s on the same page with me on everything, from how we run the weight room to how we recruit, to how I expect practice to go.
“I felt like last year, our physicality was probably the lowest of any team I coached in a while, as far as physicality across the board. I think he brings that back to the table, to have another guy preaching that every single day. I really feel good about the direction of our offense and our offensive line, moving forward with him.”
The Norsemen may have struck gold in Drake transfer Ike Owens, a 6-2, 220-pounder.
“Ike is a legacy player,” Crissup said. “His dad played at NEO in the late ‘80s, played tight end. Ike’s a big guy. I was running with him the other day, and he can run really fast. He played for a great program in Jenks High School. Our freshman quarterback coming in, Carson Cooksey – Carson won a state championship at Blanchard High School this past year. The way he processes and delivers the ball is very impressive.”
Also in the mix: a freshman from Georgia, Jarrod Elkins (6-5, 235).
The offensive line collected some new personnel, including transfer Dennis Lafferty, a 6-7, 315-pounder, a left tackle that Crissup said has came on strong and finishes well.
At tight end, returner Alex Tollett is back, and played quite a bit last year, Crissup noted, and a freshman, Derrick Osmond, a freshman who looks like an offensive lineman but runs like a tight end, Crissup said. He also mentioned Duante Moses and Edreice Anderson, both at fullback.
At receiver?
“We’re kind of wide open,” Crissup said. “We’ve got some speed, some guys that can really run. Devin Alexander is going to play a little bit of running back, little bit of receiver. He’s a 10-300 guy. He got second in state 6A in Oklahoma. …Gage Deckard is a guy who was in the mix in the 100 meter championship. I think he was fifth or sixth. He’s going to be out there a little bit. Trying to figure out who’s fitting where.”
Running backs will include Emery Neely. “He played some games for us last year. Does some really good things. Can run really well. He’s not a super-burner. But when you watch him run, he picks up yards very fast. He’s deceptively fast, has really good feet; he’s a smart kid.
On defense, Crissup will coach safeties.
Braxton Street is a returner there – he’s also a returner on the field, a kick returner. “He’s not quite as tall as some of those other guys we’ve got back there. Very, very smart. Played eight-man football in high school, can really run. He’ll be good for us.”
Jordan Sells and Aaron Edwards – who is 6-4 – will both see time at safety.
And at corner, Damun Allen from Florida is 6-3 at one corner, and Lauron Johnson, who the Norsemen found in Indiana, is at another corner, and stands 6-2, 6-3.
At linebacker…
“We had to revamp that room quite a bit,” Crissup said. “Over spring ball, we felt like we need to go get some guys and get some transfers in.”
Among those transfers: Javion Hill from Southwestern Oklahoma, and two more.
“Really feeling a lot better about the linebacker room, as long as we have our freshmen continue to pick up the speed there,” Crissup said.
On the defensive front, now, that’s where NEO has the most returning experience, including Jayden Jones, Solomon Wright (who’s only 6 foot, but strong, Crissup said) and C.M. Jones.
“He’s a fifth-semester guy, eight-man football player from western Oklahoma,” Crissup said. “Man, I love those guys. They’re tough and they better be, ‘cause if not, I’ll ship ‘em home. They can go back to work. No, no. C.M. is tough, has done a great job, takes coaching and I’m excited for him because you can watch that happen for those guys. You can watch them not know anything about college football, start getting recruited, and just watch their lives change, those guys earn it and put the work into it.”
The Norsemen, who went 0-9 a year ago and of course, 0-7 in conference play, will open the season Aug. 31 on the road against always-tough Butler (Kan.).
Their first home game of the year is Sept. 7 against another Kansas JUCO, Independence.
On Sept. 14, the Norsemen open conference play on the road in Corsicana, against Navarro.
They’re off on Sept. 21, and then they host Tyler Junior College on Sept. 28, and are home against Cisco on Oct. 5.
They make the long trek to Roswell, N.M., to face New Mexico Military on Oct. 19, and then a second straight road game, this one at Brenham against Blinn, on Oct. 26.
NEO finishes the season with back-to-back home games against Trinity Valley (Nov. 2) and defending conference champion Kilgore College (Nov. 9).
The conference playoffs begin Nov. 16 for the top four teams in the conference standings.
“More than anything, we’re excited to go out and compete, and teach guys what it means to not just be a good football player, and work hard at that, but learn things they can use the rest of their lives,” Crissup said.